Nangarhar police leadership referred to judiciary

KABUL (PAN): The Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Wednesday said it had introduced the police leadership of eastern Nangarhar province to the judicial organs for conducting a security operation against professional techniques.

Last week, a group of Afghan and foreign insurgents attacked and besieged the house of Malak Wardak in the Amarkhel area of Sherzad district.

Nangarhar officials said when security forces reached the scene to rescue the tribal elder, they clashed with the insurgents surrounding his house and as a result 16 insurgents, including some Pakistanis, were killed.

But when the forces were returning from the clash site, they were ambushed by other insurgents. In the ensuing clash, 76 attackers were killed, 10 injured and some captured alive.

A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 10 policemen were seized and several killed by the insurgents, who destroyed 17 police vehicles.

The Khogyani police chief and the district’s local police deputy head were also killed in the incident.

The Interior Ministry said it had sent a delegation to investigate the Sherzad operation that left 23 security officials dead.

MoI spokesman Siddiqui Siddique said the investigation showed the operation had been carried out against professional techniques, saying the police leadership had failed to properly assess the situation and gather enough information about the area.

He said the probe team appointed by acting Interior Minister Mujtaba Patang had questioned the police leadership and referred them to the judicial organs for further investigation.

He said the problem in Nangarhar police leadership had exposed with the Sherzad operation and reforms would be followed soon.

The Taliban claimed nearly 86 Afghan police officers were killed and several police vehicles were destroyed during the clashes.